TWO HOMES BOUND BY PARALLEL THOUGHTS

TWO PROJECTS IN KERALA, THE SKEW HOUSE AND TRADITIONAL AFFINITY, BOTH DESIGNED BY THOUGHT PARALLELS, ARE SIMILAR IN THEIR ETHOS YET UNIQUE IN THEIR OWN WAYS

- SUMISHA GILOTRA

The name of the firm itself instils immense confidence. Confidence, that their thoughts are going to run parallel to their clients’. Nikhil Mohan and Shabna Nikhil, Principal Architect and Creative Director of Thought Parallels, are deeply committed to actively collaborating with clients, whilst using research and analysis of each project’s human, technical, and economic circumstances to arrive at a design solution. That is the ethos of Thought Parallels. The result, not so surprising. It is architecture that resonates within its context and time.

To understand the pulse of what it means to interpret a client’s requirement and create a space for them to feel like they belong, we compare two projects by this Calicut based boutique design firm.

CUSTOMISED DESIGNS

The Two Projects, Skew House and Traditional Affinity, both located in Kerala, might look similar at first glance, thanks to their common material palette of wood, steel, and exposed concrete and glass. In reality, they are poles apart in terms of design and spirit.

SKEWED TO PERFECTION!

First, the scale is very different. The Skew House spans over an acre of land while Traditional Affinity is built on a 16 cents plot with 3,500 of built up area. The owners of the Skew House desired a space that was modern and accommodated their large family and guests comfortably. The design of the house utilizes the extent of the plot exceedingly well by having a well spread-out planning, ensuring well demarcated spaces for each function. Interestingly, the guest and family blocks are connected with each other by a semi-private living.